Vehicle-door.



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No.1 801,892. PATENTBD oo'r..1v,-19o5.

E. L. MORRIS. V VEHICLE nooa.

API'LIOATION FILED MAY 13. 1905.

-IIITED STATES ,PATENT ortica.

ELMORE L. MORRIS, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN.

VEHICLE-,'DOOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 17, 1905.

Application led May 13,1905. Serial No. 260,319.

' tiac, in the county of Oakland and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Doors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in vehicle-doors, especially designed for use in connection with delivery-wagons; and it consists in the novel construction of the door, in means for locking the latterl in its open and closed positions, and in other details of construction, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure l is a bottom plan view of a vehicle-body, showing the locking means for the door. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the body, showing the door closed. Fig. 3 is aview similar to Fig. 2, showing the door partly open; and Fig. 4 is a section through the door-hanger.

In the drawings thus briefly described the reference-letter A represents the sides of a vehicle, which may be of any approved construction, and B represents suitable doorways formed therein and oppositely disposed.

C is the vehicle-top, provided at its edges with depending moldings D, spaced from the body proper, and E is the bottom ofthe body.

The door used for closing the doorways is formed, preferably, in two parts, an upper section F, arranged for independent sliding movement, and a lower section G, which is hinged to the vehicle side and is in turn subdivided to form complementary sections H and I, which are adapted when the door is opened to fold into parallelism with each other and with the side of the vehicle-body, as hereinafter set forth. The upper section F is preferably provided with a glass panel J and carries at its upper edge hangers K, having offset portions a, lying within a recess formed in the top of the upper section, as indicated in Fig. 4.

c represents a suitable track above each doorway and extending some distance therebeyond in the direction of the front of the vehicle, and L represents rollers upon the hangers, adapted to travel in the top of the track, as indicated.

To prevent rattling of the door during its sliding movement, yielding antifriction-bearings are preferably used, consisting in this instance of rollers M, of rubber or other yielding material, secured to the hangers and adapted to engage the under face of the track in the manner indicated in Fig. 4` the yielding roller being slightly under compression to give the result desired.

The upper section F of the door projects downwardly a suiiicient distance to overlap the lower section G, so as to make a tight i joint at the intersection of the door parts to prevent the beating in of rain or the entry of dust. Rollers are also provided for the lower edge of the upper section to hold the same closely in` contact with the vehicle body. These rollers are designated by the referenceletters e f g, the roller c being arranged intermediate the other rollers, while the latter are arranged at the limit of travel of the door in either direction and serve as stops to prevent further movement after the door is closed or entirely opened.

The members-H and I of the lower doorsection are connected by hinges la, so that on opening the lower section the members will move outwardly in themanner indicated in Fig. 3, and finally extend in parallelism and in contact with the side of the vehicle, as shown in the same figure, the dividing of the lower section into complementarymembers permitting the outwardmovement of said section without striking the wheel.

A lock is preferably provided, which is adapted to operate automatically to retain the lower section of the door either in its open position or in its closed position, as may be desired. The lock is formed, preferably, of the angle-shaped studs z', secured one to each of the outer members of the lower door-section, a lever j, pivoted to each stud and slotted at its opposite end, as at 17:2, to engage pins Z on the body of the vehicle, and levers m, connected by a single spring a and pivoted to th'e central portion of the levers j, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. In opening the door the upper section is first moved along' the track until it entirely clears the lower door-section. The latter is then moved outwardly against the tension of the spring ny until the lever y' passes over the dead-center, when the spring serves to hold the door sections or members in their folded or closed position, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

It will be obvious from the description of the door that both the upper section and the lower sections may be opened one independently of the other, if desired, and that rattling of either section, either when opened or IOO IIO

an upper sliding section, and a lower hingedy section, divided vertically into complementary hinged members.

2. A vehicle-door consisting of a lower hinged section divided vertically into complementary members, and an upper sliding section overlapping the upper portion of the hinged section.

3. A vehicle-door consisting of a single upper section mounted for sliding movement, a hinged lower section divided vertically into two complementary members, and hinge connections between the members permitting folding movement thereof outwardly from the vehicle-body.

4. The combination with a vehicle-body having a doorway formed therein, of a door for the opening comprising a lower hinged section divided vertically into complementary hinged members and an upper sliding section acting when the door is closed to lock the lower door-section in its closed position.

5. The combination with a vehicle-body having a doorway formed therein, of a door for the opening comprising an upper independently-movable section and a lower hinged section divided vertically into complementary members adapted upon the opening ot' said section to fold into parallelism with one another and the body side, and spring-actuated mechanism beneath the body acting automatically to retain said lower section in its open or closed position.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELMORE L. MORRIS.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS H. NEWTON, H. A. WYoKoFF. 

